I was recently sharing with someone that the first part of Fr. Simon’s sabbatical was a thirty-day silent retreat. At first they questioned me as to what that exactly meant, and I explained that it was thirty days free of media and technology - no evening news, no making phone calls or texting, no chatting back and forth. They seemed rather taken aback, maybe even a little horrified, at the prospect of doing something like that.

There is just one-third of the year remaining, so it’s not too early to start thinking about our 2024 tax returns and how we can support our parish in a tax-advantaged way. Certainly, the primary motivation for our charitable contributions to Queen of All Saints parish is the generous return to God for the great gifts he has given us.

As we observe Labor Day this weekend, it seems an appropriate time to recall a reflection that someone lent me some time ago. The subject of the reflection itself was not about work, but the chapter on work struck me the most. The reflection noted that in ancient Rome, regardless of how they went about it (which might be another topic), work was generally viewed as a way to accomplish something.

A few weeks back I was looking for some information in the parish office. I know the secretaries would have been able to tell me right away the information that I needed but the office had already closed and the secretaries had gone home for the day. So I started to look for what I was searching for and found all sorts of things I wasn’t looking for. I suppose we all have those moments. But one of the things that caught my eye and was successful in distracting me was some old photos of days past here at the Basilica.

There’s something wonderfully renewing about late summer, especially as it begins a new school year. It’s all about new beginnings. Maybe it has something to do with new classrooms, new teachers, clean smells, new sights.

As the days of summer fade away and the new school year is upon us, I know there are some kids who always look forward to this time of year. I can’t say I was one of those kids (I was always kind of sad to see summer come to an end) but when I hear their reasoning I can understand their excitement...Very soon our parish school and Religious Education program will be back in session.

Bring the whole family to Mass! -Backpack Blessing at 9am & 11am -Children's Liturgy of the Word at 9am -Coffee after all Sunday Masses by the Porte Cochere

Sadly, I was informed one of our staff members here at Queen of All Saints will be moving on. As many of you know, Mrs. Jenna Kaszycki has served as our Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry. Of course, her departure is a loss! Our thanks go out to Jenna for the time and talent that she brought to her role here, and her hard work that was such a part of her position.

We hear this phrase often. What does this mean? Our time—perhaps the most obvious way to satisfy this obligation is to attend weekly Mass; Our talent—giving of our abilities in the service of others; Our treasure—the benefits of a certain percentage of our annual income, given to our church and to others in gratitude for what has been given to us...

Some folks joked with me last weekend that it didn’t take me long to break something! It has only been a month since Fr. Simon left, and last weekend – in the middle of summer – our air conditioning went out! It certainly was a stark reminder of the fragility of our HVAC system, and the fact that we have a serious problem. Fr. Simon had already been working to address this significant and extensive issue before I came to Queen of All Saints. This weekend was a reminder of why he sees the needed work as pressing.

We hear this phrase often. What does this mean? Our time—perhaps the most obvious way to satisfy this obligation is to attend weekly Mass...

A religious trivia question that I sometimes like to ask the young kids is: what are the names of Jesus’ grandparents? Sometimes my question is met with looks of shock and disbelief that Jesus actually had grandparents. One of the benefits that you and I have here at Queen of All Saints, which many places don’t have, is a very visible reminder of his grandparents. It’s interesting to hear different visitors ask about the two statues on either side of the grand mosaic of the Blessed Mother in the sanctuary. Here, we have a “family portrait” around the altar, as the image of Our Lady is flanked on either side by her parents, Jesus’ grandparents, Sts. Joachim and Anne.

Something that I have certainly come to realize over the course of the last year is that many people come from near and far to visit the basilica. They come because it’s a beautiful place to pray, and as some have told me, it’s also the only church that they could find open during the day. So while they might not be from our parish, we are happy to provide an oasis in the midst of the day where they can come and spend a few quiet moments with the Lord present in the Holy Eucharist.

These are unusual time for investors. Despite a difficult 2022 the stock market has experienced solid returns so far in 2023-2024. In fact, the market has risen over 80% over the past five years, yet the benefits of a rising market are not shared equally among all, including throughout our parish.

The basilica will be open during the weekday hours of 6am - 9:30am, before and after morning mass. The Saturday and Sunday schedules remain the same.

I remember as children we would often receive a periodical from one of the various missionary endeavors that my family supported. At the top of every newsletter there was a saying attributed to St. Therese that I haven’t forgotten. She says in regards to the work in the missions; “some give by going to the missions, and some go by giving to the missions, but without both there are no missions.”

July is the heart of our hot, languid summers. It’s vacation time for many, time to rev up the grill or skip out to the beach. Even our reading material changes with the heat and light: that heavy biography becomes an easy-on-the beach thriller. So it’s probably true that our approach to stewardship changes with the seasons as well...

Is there such a thing as a stewardship of recreation? Some people might dismiss the thought. But they’d be wrong. ...

What a grace to have with us this weekend at our Saturday evening Mass all those from our vicariate, and so many others, coming to celebrate and thank God for his presence in the Holy Eucharist! ...